The present invention refers to an automatic coupling unit for braking and electrical functions between parts in a vehicle combination.
Rational modern goods-handling technology today offers aids for the transport of large and heavy loads. Containers with weights up to 20 tons or more are usual, and within a sawmill area, for example, there are very large and heavy timber packets. Accordingly, the transport method intails that a container or a packet of timber is handled as a unit which is moved between different stations on specially built transport trailers which can be connected to and towed by a truck or the like. Such a transporting unit will thus consist of a vehicle divided into two, or in exceptional cases three parts with a prime mover and one or alternatively two load units.
The normal handling picture is then that one and the same truck serves several load units which during intervals between haulage are set up at loading bays or similar intermediate stations. In other words, a truck can freely operate within an area for taking away or bringing up the load units, travel on public highways being also usual. Independent of the kind of transport area applicable public regulations for vehicles must be applied, relating for example to braking and lighting functions on the load unit. In its turn, this means that the load unit must be coupled to the prime mover both with regard to braking function and electrical function and that suitable couplings for these systems must be arranged between the two parts of the vehicle combination so that the truck driver can manoeuvre the whole unit solely by operations from the driver's cabin.
The solutions to date for coupling units between two vehicle parts of the kind stated are of conventional type with a male part and a female part which can be quickly put together by hand. As a rule this operation requires however that the truck driver has to get down from the prime mover both for coupling together and taking apart the connecting means. Since the number of goods movements for a prime mover can be considerable during a working shift, this means continuously repeated time losses for the coupling operation, which will be inconvenient and will negatively affect haulage capacity.